Saying Goodbye, and a New Arrival

Saying goodbye to a dog is always hard, but this month has been especially difficult. Two weeks ago my husband and I made the decision to euthanize Remi, our Great Dane. He was only 7 ½ years old, but due to health issues he was in a lot of pain and could no longer walk, and we could not bear for him to suffer anymore. We adopted Remi when he was a year and a half old – he was my first dog, other than the family dogs I had growing up. He taught me a lot about dog behavior, and I went from being afraid of dogs to reading about them and starting to understand them to loving dogs. He endured all of my mistakes as I learned to train dogs and to manage a multi-dog household. He was a clown who loved to drink directly from the sink faucet and loved to de-stuff teddy bears. He won the Tallest Dog contest in a local pet parade, and yet was afraid to step over a ledge that was just two inches above the floor. He wouldn’t go through a doorway unless the door was all the way open, and he once pulled me face-down across the front lawn in order to meet some very nervous neighbors out walking their dog. He sounded ferocious but was a big baby, and yet I always felt completely safe with him by my side. In spite of the fact that he was a purebred Great Dane and weighed 160 pounds, people - both adults and children - would often ask if he was a Dalmatian.  I was always tempted to say yes, yes he is.  


I miss you, my Giant Dalmatian.

 A week after losing Remi, I was back at the vet’s office with Lee, the smallest of the Chihuahua puppies. Lee was diagnosed with hydrocephalus, which is a buildup of fluid inside the skull. There are a variety of causes but in his case it was most likely a congenital defect. Lee did not survive, and walking out of the vet’s office without him was so hard. I am glad that both of his littermates do not have any issues and are doing well, but I really miss him. 

Lee


I also said goodbye to Stella the deaf Lab mix this week, but that was under much happier circumstances since she was adopted into a wonderful family. Saying goodbye is not so hard when I know the dog is going to a wonderful home and I will get to see pictures and hear updates on her in the future.


Stella and her new family


I have also had a new arrival this week. Brittany is a two-year-old dog who came into rescue after being picked up as a pregnant stray. She went to a neonate rescue until her babies were weaned and now she’s been spayed and is ready to find her forever home. Brittany is a sweet girl who loves attention and loves to play with other dogs. She went to her first adoption event on Saturday and many people were drawn to her, so I am hoping that she will find her forever home very soon.


Brittany